


O One

by Infiniteleft



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Dia pls watch your language even though you're alone, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Future Fic, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Post-Canon, Romance, So I Lied, there's some hurt/comfort in here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:55:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22045957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infiniteleft/pseuds/Infiniteleft
Summary: Riko definitely hadn't been planning this for months. Definitely. There wasn't anything special to do on her birthday besides stay in and watch crappy TV movies while toasting the new year... Unless?
Relationships: Kurosawa Dia/Sakurauchi Riko
Comments: 7
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I PROMISED FLUFF FOR HER BIRTHDAY AND I SWEAR I'M TRYING TO DELIVER

The first thing she woke up to was the blankets shifting around her. With the warmth at her back suddenly gone, she knew it was Riko. There wasn't any daylight through the windows yet, so Dia decided to stay where she was. She didn't have classes today, which was nice. As hard a worker she strived to be, her back appreciated the rest she could give it.

Besides, she could still smell the remnants of Riko's perfume when she rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

* * *

The second thing she woke up to, after drifting back off, was hearing the closet door shutting. She cracked open an eye; nothing, the room was still bathed in darkness. Riko didn't freeze, though she could tell the other woman's movement slowed as Dia shifted in bed. When she didn't rise, her girlfriend quietly, but hastily left the room.

She just pulled the pillow closer in lieu of Riko's embrace. Whatever reason she was getting dressed for, Dia decided she didn't feel like knowing. It didn't seem urgent, otherwise she would've been woken.

The door creaks back open about ten minutes later, but Dia wasn't awake to see it.

* * *

The third thing she wakes up to is a brief kiss on her cheek, something cold touching her hand, and rapid footsteps scurrying away. With a prim and proper sigh befitting someone of her nature (it most certainly was not a lazy moan!) she finally opened her eyes. ...And was met with daylight and a bottle of champagne.

Dia sat up, wincing at the cracking noise her bones made. Ah. That probably wasn't good. Scrubbing a palm into her eye, she hefted up the bottle onto her knees, squinting at the label.

"O-kay…" The brunette mumbled, blinking firmly. She pushed back the covers, shivering at the chill. Better pajamas were on her list of things to get, but she'd never gotten around to them, something which she regretted to her very core right now.

Even with the protests her body offered, though, she finally meandered out of the bedroom, bottle firmly held in hand. "Good morning," she called as she headed to the kitchen, setting it on the table. No response. How odd.

"Riko?" She tried again, confused. Her girlfriend usually didn't leave until twelve, and it was only seven right now… Shaking her head, she peered into the living room. It was empty.

Dia blew out a sigh, an actual one, and snatched up an oatmeal bar before heading back to her bedroom for her phone. No messages from Riko, though there were plenty from everyone else in Aqours.

The group chat itself had 200+ messages; she wasn't going to touch that with a ten foot pole right now.

Instead, she set herself to responding to the individual messages received from their friends. After that, breakfast. Then she'd call Ruby.

And maybe Riko, while she was at it.

* * *

The phonecall she had with her sister was rather heartwarming. The other girl might be stuck in Numazu for her birthday, but she promised to see her within the next two days. That was nice, and far better than the two whole months it would take Kanan and Mari. Oh well. It wouldn't have been the first time.

Her phonecall with Riko, however, was incredibly baffling. Her girlfriend refused to admit where she was, or what she was doing, just saying telling her "you'll find out!" with an incredibly bright voice.

Frankly, it was tempting to break into the champagne already, with how she was led in circles.

It was a bottle of water she held in her hand for the moment, though. There was sake in the fridge from Chika's last visit, but Dia wanted to at least be dressed and showered before she thought about that.

Setting it on her dresser, she cracked open the closet as she finished catching up on the nightmare that was the group chat. Evidently, Mari and Yoshiko had been drinking last night in a video call.

She kind of regretted reading all that. Hearing about how oxygen eats flesh was… probably not an appropriate topic for one in the morning. Or ever, really. With a noise of disgruntlement, Dia turned her attention away from her phone.

_"What the?!"_

Immediately, she drew back, a hand slapping over her mouth. Her lungs couldn't work against the force of shock electrifying her body, leaving her gaping at the lone dress hanging up on the rack.

And the note taped to the hangar.

Her eyes darted to the corners, searching for her usual attire, or even Riko's; there was naught there but a black evening dress, a pair of booties, and what could only be described as a cape.

What. The. Fuck.

Drawing herself out of her stupor, she hesitated. Was she even supposed to find this? Her phone was on the floor. She should call Riko. She should call Riko. She should call--

She called Riko.

It rang several times, and Dia wondered if she was still dreaming.

At long last, it connected. "Hi, Dia." The voice on the other end all but purred. She would've been suspicious about that if her brain was working a little better.

"Riko," she forced out instead, feeling lighter than air. Air. Was she getting enough of it? Perhaps not, she felt… faint. "Where are my clothes?"

She could almost _hear_ the heartbeat on the other end. "A-ah, do you not like it?"

"The, the, uhm," her hands spun circles uselessly, "the whole thing in here?"

"Yeah…"

"No!" She blurted out, paused, and the slapped her forehead. Idiot, that's not how you respond to a gift from your partner, especially not one so evidently lovingly prepared. "Nononono, no! It's fine! I love it! It's-- what's going on?!"

"Didn't you read the note?" The anxiety slid out of her girlfriend's words, leaving her puzzled. And ever so slightly amused. Even in the haze, Dia could pick up on that much.

"N-no, I wasn't sure--"

"Read the note, love." That's definitely amusement. What was so funny?!

It was highly improper to pout. So that's exactly what she didn't do. The note was targeted with the pristine focus she was reknown for, and unfolded.

"I'll see you later, Dia!" Came cheerfully over the sound of her gasp, and with a quick "love you, bye," the dial tone returned.

She stared at the dress.

"Well. Son of a-"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have a rest at the "ouch" stop! To your left, we have unresolved issues. Up next, on the right, is the promised fluff. After the comfort.

This was a little bit of a hitch. Just a little. A teeny tiny little snag. No problem at all. Easy to solve.

...who was she kidding, this was bad. Bad bad bad bad bad bad--

Riko slapped herself. "Okay, don't worry about that part, it's all going to be fine…" She stared at the crushed box in her hands. Curse you, international shipping hazards. Curse you, international shipping _prices._ Swallowing hard, she ventured a tiny shake and she heard plastic clinking together. Cheerfully. Plastic was not supposed to be clinking together. Plastic and glass was not supposed to be clinking together.

The girl on the other side of the counter gave her coworker a furious glance. Riko might not be up in arms over the damage, but still… "I'm so sorry, ma'am, again. It shouldn't have happened. That's our fault."

She still set the box in her satchel, unsure what else to do with it. "No, no, it's fine, accidents happen… Thank you, anyway. Have a good new year." Without any further comment, she hurried out the door. Now what was she supposed to do?!

* * *

Dia sat on the couch, dressed in her bathrobe. According to the note, she wasn't supposed to leave for five hours more. Which was why she was scrolling through her messages on her laptop, idly crunching on popcorn. Yoshiko and Mari still didn't seem recovered from whatever it was they did last night, if their grammar was any indication.

And their discussion topics. Yeesh.

She clicked out of the tab after a short 'You two have fun' and stared at the clock. It stared back at her. Waiting. Taunting. Any minute now, and it would start shrieking at her, letting her know how many more hours were left until she could actually do something. Her hands itched.

Then again, that might be the butter stuck on her fingers. Eugh.

She was so _bored_. Fuck it, she was calling Kanan. Her phone was right there, teasing her with the reminder of how lonely the apartment got when she was the only one in it.

It too rang a couple times, and Dia decided that the dial tone was the worst thing she'd ever heard. How annoying…

Kanan did pick up, though. Victory. _"Hello?"_

"Kanan! Good… morning? I didn't wake you, did I?" She probably should have checked what time it was for her friend before she started dialing… maybe she could blame Chika for that, too. Making her far more impulsive. _Although, it paid off loads in the long run, if…_ she quickly counted off her fingers. Geez, it's been eight years already?!

_"Nah, I was already up. What's been eight years?"_

Dia smacked a hand to her forehead. Of course she said that out loud. "Oh, nothing much. Just how long it's been since, well, all of us were in Aqours. I was just thinking to myself. Have you noticed if I've been making rash decisions more, lately?"

_"...Dia, are you drunk?"_

"W-what?! No! I didn't decide against drinking an entire bottle of champagne by myself for you to accuse me of such… such…"

On the other end of the line, Kanan burst into laughter. _"Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Not drunk. Yet. Ahem. Anyway. Maybe you have. Why? Er, why are you asking?"_

"I think Chika's rubbed off on me."

_"Chika's more encouraged you to do things than rubbed off, honestly. You're still kind of… turtle like, when it comes to people. Which is why you're thinking about this, isn't it?"_

Dia stared at her phone as if it were watching her. That was a little unsettling. She opened and closed her mouth. Forget turtle, she felt far more like a fish right now. "N-no."

_"Uh-huuuuh… alright, what's eating at you this time?"_

She was silent for a moment. She's been trying to ignore it, but even with the distraction Riko had provided… "I think I miss everyone. It's been so long since we've graduated, and… you know. We're all busy now," she turned her head away from her laptop, shutting it slowly. "We rarely get together anymore. And maybe… ah, nevermind."

_"Come on, Dia, don't pull a Ruby on me."_

"It's selfish. And stupid."

_"I won't laugh. Promise."_

She sighed. Kanan was going to laugh. And tell her she was being silly. "It almost feels like I'm being left behind, sometimes."

There was a long silence on the other end. Kanan didn't laugh; she didn't really say anything at all. She almost asked if her friend was still there before she finally responded. _"What makes you think that?"_

Her socks made a soft 'shtchksh' noise against the carpet. She kept rubbing them. Why did she feel so alone, indeed? "I don't know. It just feels like..."

"Like what?"

"It feels like I'm useless."


	3. Chapter 3

Kanan lowered her head to rest against her arm. Ah. Geez. This was bad. "That's a little extreme, don't you think? What makes you say that?" Inwardly, she berated herself all over again for forgetting to keep in better touch with her friend. Time seemed to have mended the wounds and blood between them, but she still regretted what had happened, to some degree.

 _"I don't know,"_ Dia said again, unsure. She could hear it in the mumble. There was a silence, in which Kanan occupied herself with rubbing the back of her neck, feeling a stare burning up behind her. She kicked the source of it in the shin before she could say something stupid, rolling her eyes at the overdramatic yelp.

 _"I… I guess I just… Everyone doesn't need me anymore. They…"_ Her friend stopped, and Kanan wished there was some sort of physical tell she could see. She always scratched her mole when lying, and she'd never look anyone in the eye when cornered. Plus, if she was there with Dia, a hug would be a valid option. Hug the loneliness out of her. That always worked, didn't it?

Except it evidently didn't. Mari leaned forward again, nudging her in the arm. She turned her head, shaking it. "They what?" _Listen, Kanan, don't judge until she's finished speaking,_ she reminded herself. Even if that sentiment was ridiculous. Of course they needed her!

 _"I know it's a bit stu- silly, but… I can't help anyone anymore, like I used to. I was always the responsible one, wasn't I? Supposed to help everyone keep themselves in line and on task. It was never easy, but…"_ She winced at the faint sniffling from the other end. Ah. This was something. _"I was useful."_

"Dia, don't take this the wrong way, but you're right, that's stupid. You're still the responsible one; look at Mari!"

"Hey!" The blonde whispered furiously. She kicked her shin again, indicating for her to be quiet.

"Besides, that's not why we like you as a friend, Dia. Sure, that's part of why we love you, but we're not friends just because you were organized and took care of us." Kanan sat back up, watching Mari's irritated stare melt into something completely different. "You shouldn't tie your self worth into something like that, anyway. You provide us with yourself. That's more than enough. Just because we're all busy now doesn't change that."

_"Are you sure…?"_

"Absolutely. Don't forget about Riko, either! You know she's head over heels about you. She cares. You're important to her, yeah? I know it's still kind of empty without everyone around, but… don't take her for granted -- ouch! Hey! Watch it!"

_"Kanan?! What happened? Are you okay?"_

"Hey-- Mari!"

"Kanan must lick her wounds," Mari spoke with a bright voice, "so I'm afraid she cannot say anything else ridiculous right now. We all love you, Dia, so remember that!" Her smile didn't waver as she pulled the phone away for a brief second. _"And don't imply she doesn't appreciate Riko; what's_ wrong _with you?!"_

"I'm not--! Mari! Give it back!" People were staring at them now, and Kanan resisted the urge to groan.

 _"...Mari?"_ From the way the blonde was holding the phone, Dia's voice fluttered through the air all too easily. _"Aren't you supposed to be in Paris?"_

"I am indeed! Don't you worry your pretty little head about that, dearest Dia!"

* * *

Dia wasn't worrying. No, worry was the least of her… well, worries. It was confusion that was the winner of the emotions she was feeling at the moment, having beaten out 'crushing loneliness' and 'self doubt' to take the top spot. "Eh… can you give the phone back to Kanan, please?"

_"Huh? Don't you love me anymore?"_

"I love you just fine, but Kanan makes more sense than you do." Dia rolled her eyes, still confused but deciding to roll with it. Kanan probably could give her an explanation; if not, well, it won't have been the first time she's chalked something up to nothing else but 'it's Mari.'

_"Gasp! Diaaaaa, that's mean!"_

_"Mari, give me back my phone!"_ Wow, that was a little more forceful than she expected, and Dia winced. She was glad she remembered to turn down the volume on her phone, earlier. A couple of bizarre scuffling noises later, Kanan spoke again. _"So, ah… yeah, don't worry too much?"_

With a glance towards the clock, Dia picked up the stale popcorn bowl. "I'm not so much worried anymore as confused. Why are you in Paris?"

_"I'm not in Paris-"_

"Then why's Mari in Australia?" She tugged her shirt down with a grimace. Well, it wasn't actually hers, technically. The clothes she and Riko wore mixed together a lot, to her surprise. She couldn't pinpoint when it had happened, but the oversized pink panther shirt she was wearing definitely wasn't anything she'd bought.

Dia spared a smile at the garment, anyway.

 _"...but anyway, she's not in Australia either."_ Kanan finished her ramble -- since when did Kanan ramble?! -- rather awkwardly, audibly clearing her throat.

Arching an eyebrow, she reconsidered her choice to wait on the champagne. It was very nice champagne, from what she recalled. Maybe it would've been a good idea, for now. Then again, she doubted it would make any more sense than it did sober, her drunk self might have just cared less. Or maybe she would've cared more -- she'd gone on a date to the bar with Riko once, and only once. Apparently, from her girlfriend's recounting of events the next day, she had been rather… clingy and pushy, to be sparing of details.

A flush spread up her neck. Yeah, waiting on the alcohol was a good idea.

"Then where are you two?" Bringing her thoughts back to the matter at hand as opposed to what her hands had done, she chucked the bowl into the trash. "You didn't mention that you were going on any trips recently."

Kanan held a pause for a beat too long. Suspicion welled up in her mind; which was quickly both inflamed and set aside by the girl's response. " _Ah, I can't tell you that yet. Soon, I promise!"_

Her eyes wandered up towards the ceiling in frustration. Both her and Riko now, huh? "Fine," she acquiesced. And then paused. And then stared behind her at the trash can.

...oooookay, she was still a mess.

* * *

Riko stared at the coffee can in her hands, debating on whether it was truly a good idea to down caffeine. With one last stock being taken of her day, that settled it; any last lingering hesitation faded as she cracked it open, taking a healthy swing of it before turning back to the disaster at hand.

The crushed box stared at her with an extraordinarily gloomy aura for such a cute item. 8000 yen (without shipping, might she add!) and this is what arrived. Steeling herself with a deep breath, she opened it up as best she could.

Emptying the contents out was one of Riko's biggest regrets for today, only beaten out by the fact she hadn't had a backup plan. The sad state of μ's mini figures was made worse when she realized Eli, the one Dia still kept a poster of up, was snapped into three little pieces. Beheaded before her time. It was a tragedy and Riko was _screwed._

Wearily, she picked up the pieces. Maybe she could glue them back together…? Ah, but would she be able to get it done in time? And with such tiny pieces, it would be so hard to do… she had to face it, she couldn't give this to Dia anytime soon.

Riko gently put the remnants of the gift into the box before she indulged in slamming her head onto the table with a miserable groan. Okay. New plan. She needed a new plan.

She turned on her phone, easily unlocking the screen and pulled up a map. If she remembered right, there were a couple stores she could try and find something in. It might not be μ's, but it would be _something._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Acquiesce is a bitch of a word.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tag, "So I Lied", is now very important to remember here as I realize I hold no control over what these characters say or do. Honestly, it feels like Dia has emo music blaring in her head while everyone else is going along to yakity sax. What a wonderful combo.
> 
> Also, shout out to my friend Gail who put up with me yelling about this fic while struggling to write it despite her not knowing anything about love live but still losing her shit anyway.

Dia finally made it off the phone with Kanan and Mari, all the more confused. Which is why she was blaming them both alongside Riko for why she'd thrown the bowl into the trash.

At least it hadn't broken. It certainly wasn't fun to wash off.

Three more hours to kill. Ugh. Could she go back to bed? No, she didn't need a nap. It'd only throw off her sleep schedule, but she indulged herself a groan of regret anyway. Looks like she was going to start her crappy movie marathon early. Might as well, since she was beginning to doubt that tradition was going to be nixed for tonight.

Unfortunately, none of the good ones seemed to be on. Boring, boring, highly creepy, boring… rolling her eyes, she settled on some sort of drama that she'd never heard of. So far, it was incredibly uninteresting. If Riko were here, it might've been worth it. They could make fun of the protagonist and his love internet together.

Idly, Dia scratched her chin. Sometimes, it almost felt like her own relationship was something out of a cheesy doujin that Riko enjoyed reading. A thought struck her, and she laughed; maybe that's where her girlfriend got the inspiration from. They'd stood there, on the beach, before Mari, Kanan, and herself had graduated. It had loomed as much as it beckoned, a terrifying but electric future that waited for her. Ruby had taken it well. Dia felt so proud of her little sister still, to have seen her come so far warmed her heart even through the days where she missed the girl's presence.

Riko, however…

She and the second year hadn't been the closest of friends. In fact one time, after they both joined Aqours, Riko had admitted that she found Dia incredibly intimidating as a person. Not a shock, but it had stung more than she thought it would. The gap between them had gotten better over time, but Riko wasn't someone Dia would've considered calling anything more than a friend.

A smile played at her lips as she recalled her long talks with Yoshiko -- her junior was another surprising match, but truth be told, she found she admired her strength and confidence. Even though many people had made fun of the chuunibyou, Yoshiko never let it bother her. Not truly. She knew what she wanted, and what made her happy. For such a young age, she was incredibly wise… perhaps Yohane had a good influence on her, after all.

And it was Yohane who noticed the pull between them two.

Dia hadn't really noticed it at the time, but looking back made her realize that the demon queen had tried to subtly push her and Riko together. And then abandoned subtle when she staged that whole accident with both her and Riko's books…

Too bad she was too dense to have taken the hint. She remembered all the excuses she built to explain away every feeling that had grown. And when denial couldn't take it anymore, somehow she built a new lie instead -- Riko couldn't love someone like her.

And yet… days before graduation, the second year had pulled her aside and out to the beach, the place where the nine of them had gravitated to, where the nine of them had found themselves and eachother again.

Poetic and fitting, wasn't it?

Riko had taken her hand, having broken the silence with awkward small talk. About how happy she was to have gotten the chance to meet everyone. How happy she was to have such good friends. How happy she was now, even as the third year's departure stalked closer and closer. She spoke about realizing she was able to feel again, without failure hovering around her. Chika was a brilliant friend, and Riko spoke about how grateful she was to have someone like her around.

Dia tried not to think about how her words stung, as much as she agreed with them. Somewhere along the way, all she could focus on was the warmth of Riko's hands in hers, how soft the skin was. Guilt could be tasted on her tongue as she remembered all the time Chika and Riko had spent together, the looks they gave eachother.

Hell, she even spotted the two of them sneaking out of their hotel room once during a night they spent in Tokyo. Dia wasn't blind and she wasn't a fool, so she decided she would be happy for them.

_ "Chika really is something, isn't she?" _ She remembers herself saying. Her voice hadn't wobbled, even as something strangled itself in her chest…

* * *

"Yeah… we all owe her a lot, don't we? Her and You both… they're amazing. I couldn't ask for better friends." A loose strand of hair was sitting across Riko's cheek, where the wind had blown it. Oh, how much so Dia wanted to tuck it away, but before she could even fight the urge Riko did it for her. It was so sweet and gentle… she almost missed the continuation. "If it wasn't for Chika, none of us would really be where we are now, huh? Even though I kept turning her down -- even though everyone else kept turning her down, she never let up."

Her throat ran dry with a year's worth of guilt and grief, still raw wounds at the front of her mind. Closing her eyes, she brushed it away with bedraggled ease. A nod. "Even when I had hoped she would," Dia acknowledged, "she didn't give up. It was annoying at first, but… well, I guess that's something else to thank her for."

"Maybe her being so, um, persistent, maybe it was exactly what you needed. What we all needed." She noticed how Riko swallowed hard, casting her eyes out onto the ocean. "Do you… do you think we would've been friends without her?"

"No." Her response came out quicker than she could process it, and she winced at the flash of hurt on the other girl's face. Dammit. Always had to go around doing these things, huh? "Truthfully," Dia began again in a softer voice, "I-- I wouldn't have considered making friends with anyone after, ah…"

"After Aquors first broke up."

"Yes." She took her own gaze off of Riko, turning it towards the stars that were beginning to glimmer above the horizon. "It would've hurt too much. And… I wouldn't have let myself trust anyone, especially someone I--"

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Riko snapping her head towards her at her pause. She cursed herself for letting her wayward tongue go too far.

"Someone I would've looked up to," Dia eventually amended. "I was trying too hard to prove to myself I didn't need to rely on anyone else."

The silence that broke over the two of them lasted far longer than a comfortable pause. Had she spoken too bluntly? Had she said too much? Whatever it was, Dia couldn't bring herself to sneak a glance to Riko, afraid to find judgement waiting for her.

Riko still said nothing.

"But, you know what? Maybe if Chika still had her drive for solving problems…" Her grin felt weak, but it was there. "It could almost be a superpower at this point, couldn't it?"

Silence remained. She sucked in a breath, feeling anxiety heave in her chest. Why was Riko so still? Her gaze was heavy, a scrutiny Dia wasn't used to. She wasn't brave enough to face the stony quiet.  _ Come on, please… don't let that have been the wrong thing to say, _ she begged.

"It's really admirable," Riko broke so comfortably that Dia was left to flounder for understanding. "You know? She didn't give up when she was trying to recruit me, even when I tried to compromise. And after I joined Aqours… she knew so much about confidence. Even if-- even though we'd just barely met, we were so drawn together. Just hours and hours of talking to eachother on the balcony…"

Finally, finally, Dia worked up the courage to look at her. There was a small, practically miniscule, but serene smile on her face, beautiful in its subdued glory. She was so happy to think about Chika. What a bond they must share, to make someone such as Riko so comforted by even just the thought of her.

And Dia felt her heart break a little more.

* * *

_ Shit, shit, shit. _ None of this would work. With the muse figurines mutilated just shy of being unrecognizable, finding a present that would bring her girlfriend as much joy was something of an impossible mission. Dia had never really been much for fangirling about anything other than idols, even now. Alas, it had been so long since her favorite group (aside from Aqours, of course!) disbanded, and merch was a hard find. To be able to pick something up in-store… not going to happen!

Which left Riko in a bind she wasn't sure she was going to get out of. On her way to the store, she'd sent Yoshiko a lot of panicked texts -- any help she could find would be amazing, and truth be told, Dia and Yoshiko were rather close friends, weirdly enough. She'd never really understood how they clicked so well, but all her friend ever said on the matter was that they talked a lot and shared a lot of interests.

So the chuunibyou-turned-professional-streamer would be able to list something that Dia would be interested in, right? Right?!

Wrong.

All Yoshiko offered was incredibly vague advice: "don't get her underwear, don't get her anything related to that one sci-fi flick that came out years ago, and if you get her towels I will personally smite you from this earthly realm myself." Incredibly pertinent advice, thank you Yoshiko. Except that all of that were things she hadn't even thought about beforehand! Square one, meet your old friend Sakurauchi.

A thought wiggled its way to the surface of her mind, brandishing a frying pan. Ready, aim, and -- oh, what if she got her something related to the movies they watch? Sure, Dia might not be a fan of them, but wouldn't it be a cute reminder of their "us" time? The one they'd originally talked about seeing was pretty popular right now…

...except that half the movie Dia spent in a grimace and the other half she was verbally complaining. It had been a fun hate watch, but it was just that. Shoot. There goes that plan.

Oh, fuck her, how was she supposed to salvage this?! At this rate, all she would have to show for it would be her own sorry self, and if that wasn't egostitical, she didn't know what was.

Was it too late to consider proposing?

The weird wall hanging next to the spot she'd been definitely not freaking out in proclaimed "Yes, Yes, Baby!" in a weird, English text. If it was a reference to something, it went over her head, but it was sign enough to dissuade her from that. 

Ugh. None of these would work.

Would it be tacky to get her more clothes, after already giving her clothes to go on their date with? Maybe, but it couldn't hurt to look. If she could just find something so intrinsically Dia, she could make it work.

Sighing, Riko abandoned the aisles she'd perused before. Last ditch effort, all in the name of love. Maybe she should hit up the thrift store she saw in the way here. There might be something nice in there, something unique.

Perfect. Plan, potentially salvaged.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, maybe a lil CW in that first section for implied homophobia. Didn't think we'd get here, but, well. It happens. Riko saves the day, I promise. We're getting there! We're approaching the sappy parts!!

It was stupid to have ever expected anything else, really, and Dia knew it. For as long as the two had known eachother, there had been a pull between them, an unspoken chemistry that she doubted any of the would've missed. She was happy for them, truly. If Chika was the one to make Riko smile, if Chika was the only one who could earn a special look so full of meaning and life and hope and--

Dia wouldn't ever stand in the way of that, as much as it hurt to accept that. Riko deserved that basic respect. Even if she wished it could've been her... as long as Riko was happy (and Chika, of course, she was her friend too) then that would be enough for her. They talked further and further, and Dia lost track of time in the stars above, and the way they twinkled in Riko's eyes, always coming back to Chika and how she united them again. And yet... Riko didn't say anything directly about _them_. It always faded out awkwardly, she always tiptoed around the words. Were they not together? Maybe. But it was hard to ignore how much Riko adored their overexciteable friend.

She took in a breath. _Should I...? Should I ask her? No, she won't give me an answer. It's not something you just... just drop on someone when you don't know how they'll react._ Nevermind that Dia was... was... she knew where Riko's fear came from, why her throat would clam up and why even just thinking about the words felt frightening and so, so much like a betrayal to her family. But there wasn't anything to fear from her. She knew. She took in a breath.

"Riko, I-- look, I guess I should just tell you."

"Hm?"

"You and Chika... you don't have to hide it." Riko stared at her suspiciously. "It's okay, I'm not going to judge you. You two... you-- you make sense. And I'm glad that, ah," Dia found herself unable to bear looking at her delicate face, or in her eyes any longer. "I'm glad that you two have it figured out. I don't know how long you've been dating, but... I think you two will go far. And, ah, just know that you-- that you two aren't alone. I like girls too. I'm... I'm... ah, you know... I'm a lesbian too? It's okay?"

Silence. Just the thing Dia didn't want to hear. What would she find when she looked up? IF she looked up. Her stomach settled somewhere near her feet, six feet underground. The waves roaring in off the shore were nowhere near as loud as her heart in her chest, and Dia knew that this was something she could never, ever take back.

"It's okay." She repeated, barely able to get the words out. It wasn't okay. But it had to be okay, because surely, surely, surely she hadn't been wrong? Where her eyes felt warm, suddenly the rest of her felt an icy sludge flowing through her veins. If she was wrong... what would she do? Maybe it wouldn't matter in the long run, but Dia anticipated a long, long next few months. In the _best_ worst case scenario, anyway. In the worst, worst... _I'm so sorry, Ruby._

* * *

Riko might have drawn a few stares from passerby as she hurried through the streets, sucking in air as she accidentally got her week's worth of cardio done as she made her way to the craft store to pick up a bag. And maybe some other things Dia might like, too. Would she like a new set of polymer clay? Or what about the air-dry she'd tried that one time... she said she'd loved it, but Riko hadn't really seen her use it since. Then again, that was a bad habit artists would pick up, yeah? Getting stuck in routine? That decided that. Air-dry it was! Which one was it, though... she remembered her girlfriend debating the merits of them some time ago, but the catch to that most definitely was the fact she'd been half asleep when it happened, so everything she said wasn't exactly stored in her brain properly.

Even with that, though, she let herself feel a swell of pride at managing to salvage everything. And just in the nick of time, too, if all went well and she didn't just jinx herself. Over the years, Riko managed to hone in her ability to deal with the ups and downs that got thrown her way. She could blame Yoshiko and Mari for that. And Ruby. And Dia. Honestly, the only one who hadn't managed to throw any curveballs at her was Kanan, but maybe that's because she threw them at Hanamaru and Dia instead.

Dia... Dia definitely had thrown her off a lot. While the other woman would loathe to admit it, Riko certainly managed to learn how to deal with the missteps and left-field-swinging outbursts that she was prone to on occasion. Like salvaging Dia's denial into a confession.

* * *

_"I'm not in love with her!"_

Mouth hung open, Riko could only stare at Dia in shock. She flinched away, and Riko berated herself for raising her voice so abruptly. Calming her racing heart, she reached out with a shivering hand to lay upon her shoulder. "I'm not in love with her, Dia. I mean... I like her, a lot, but not like that. But it means a lot to me too that you trusted me enough to, to... to tell me this. That I'm not alone." She tried to smile, and tried hard not to melt when crystalline turquoise eyes rose to meet her own. There was so much hope in them, so unlike the stern gaze she was used to. "And I... Dia, do you like me?"

This time, it was Dia who stayed silent. The third year was studying her face with an intensity she hadn't seen in a long time, looking for clues for her reaction, to what her answer should be. Riko tried to keep her expression collected and encouraging, but honestly... she didn't know what it was she was projecting, or the lens Dia was looking at her through.

"It's okay to say yes or no. I won't be mad. Promise."

Dia straightened up, finally meeting her eyes again. "Fine then. I... I think I might like you, Riko."

"Great. Because I like you too. I have for, um, a while now. But what now? Do we-- can we--" Riko didn't move her hand. She didn't want to move her hand. Luckily, Dia didn't seem to want her to do that, either. No, the girl placed her own hand on top, weaving her fingers into the spaces between Riko's. Her thumb traced the side. She'd painted her nails -- how had Riko missed that before? It was something special, she knew, that she didn't do often. The gold shimmered faintly under the moonlight. "Before we graduate, do you want to go out for ice-cream? I-- I know it's a little early for it, but-"

"That sounds lovely." A moment more passed, one that Riko would keep with her forever. Just them, the sea and sky above, and the feel of Dia's fingers intwined with hers... Maybe it would be a bit much, maybe it would be a bit forward, but there was only one thing more Riko knew she could ever ask for from her.

"Dia, can I kiss you?"

* * *

The years hadn't been kind to her, Dia mused, in regards to how long it took her to take a shower. She'd only gotten her hair cut back once -- and Riko only convinced her for a couple of centimeters. 'It'll break and get frizzy the longer you leave dead ends on, Dia,' she remembered her needling. In recent months, she kept it up in braids more often than not, just so that she wouldn't have to bryush out all the knots she'd accrue in the morning.

Only halfway done with drying her hair, she contemplating just cutting it off herself to be done with it. A smirk tugged at her lips as she imagined the look on Riko's face ig she showed up sans most of that length... should she? Would she? Truth be told, as she spun a lock in wonder, she might actually do it.

So maybe she hadn'y picked up Chika's advice to be bold when it came to people. Baby steps. And courage. Dia needed a lot more courage. She picked up the phone again and dialed.

Thankfully, she wasn't subjected to a needlessly long wait -- there was maybe one ring before her friend picked up. _"Dia! Happy birthday, my wonderful assistant in the mortal world!"_ Yoshiko's voice was bright, despite the long hours she'd spent awake the night before.

"Thank you," she said as she swapped to speaker and set it down. "You're not busy, are you?"

_"Not really."_

"Good. I need a favor. Can you talk me into being a little more impulsive right now?"


	6. Chapter 6

Riko’s footsteps fell upon the pavement with a light, rapid pace. A check of her phone told her she had fifteen minutes to spare as she came to a stop at the bus stop, and she sat down, dropping her bags at her feet. Whuff. Nervous, she glanced around. It was mostly empty, not being the evening rush yet, but there was no sign of Dia anywhere. Which… made Riko early, earlier than Dia, and wasn’t that such an odd occurrence? Honestly, she was kind of expecting the other woman to be here already, and have been there for about thirty minutes. It's traditional at this point. But no, there's no sign of her. So she's going to have to settle in and wait.

She leaned back, letting her head meet the back of the stop with a dull ‘thump’. A grin spread over her face as she imagined the look on Dia’s when they finally met up… it was too bad she couldn’t have been there to see the look on her face when her girlfriend had opened the closet that morning… morning-ish. Morn-noon. Somewhere about then. It had to have been priceless… she’d have to remember to thank Ruby -- and Mari -- for the recommendations.

Yoshiko, however, was not going to get any gratitude at all. Nope. God, that was possibly the most useless phonecall in her entire life, and that was saying something. Considering that she’d been woken up at unholy hours of the morning by nearly all of her friends before, it was a hard competition, but somehow it beat out that time Mari had called her to ask her if she knew where that one pair of eye-burning magenta shades went. It had taken forty seven minutes for the blond to discover what a mirror was, and how it could show you what you were wearing.

Dia had insisted that was just an excuse to talk to Riko, when Riko had brought it up to her later, but somehow… she doubted it. But then again, Dia would know her own best friend better than Riko, wouldn’t she?

Her face twitched a wider smile she tried to conceal. Truth be told, Dia had an uncanny knack for reading people. Maybe not in the way Chika could, but it was comforting to know how much care Dia took in learning about others, their mannerisms and likes and discomforts, whether they’d wake up early on a Tuesday morning for a trip to a cafe, or whether they’d prefer to chug unhealthy amounts of red bull mixed with coffee at three AM. It had been surprising to discover that last anecdote was Kanan. Dia had only shook her head sadly -- or, more like sad frustration given the context they’d had that conversation in -- and hadn’t gone into detail.

Riko could tell she’d been holding back that time, though. For all she could just tell whether or not someone would enjoy root beer or black licorice at first glance, somehow those skills couldn’t translate into hiding her emotions at all. Which, well, Riko was secretly a bit glad for, even if that felt selfish. Dia had a bad habit of trying to squirrel herself away, and project a front she thought was dignified enough to be worthy of the Kurosawa name. It had taken only three weeks after they’d moved in together for Dia to admit how terrified she was of anyone outside of Aqours finding out, of the shame she was so terrified it would bring her.

A reasonable fear, Riko thought sadly, even if it was one she wished she could convince her to stop fretting over. Maybe someday… She shook her head. That was enough of that, today was supposed to be a pleasant day and she would  _ not _ spoil it by brooding about things she couldn’t control. After her short, but firm pep talk, she straightened up. This was going to be a  _ wonderful _ day and they were going to enjoy it.

* * *

Any moment now, she should be here… She looked up from her phone, scanning the crowd. Through the bustle, her heart sank a little when she couldn’t spot her at all. No sight of those bright turquoise eyes, or that long, dark, silky hair, or even the dress she was supposed to be wearing… no Dia at all. A stab of worry touched her -- it was so unlike her to be late.

“Where are you…?” She muttered, casting another glance towards her phone. Maybe she just missed her message. But no, there was no notification from her at all. It was 7:16 and she was late. Pushing herself up off the bench, she began scrolling through her contacts. She should give her a call.

Her feet carried her closer to the street as her phone dialed, pressing the receiver to her ear. A burst of music came from behind her, in perfect time with the hand that touched her in the shoulder. She spun around quickly, almost coming off balance to see -- holy…

“Miss me?” A familiar face chirped, tilting to the side and her cheeks were kissed by… by... 

Holy  _ fuck _ , Dia cut her hair. It was so short now, when had she done this?! When had she had the time to go get it done? Or. Oh. Oh. Oh. Had she done it herself?! It was her turn to flap her mouth like a fish, wordless and thoughtless. Her teeth made a loud snapping noise when she closed her mouth, realizing she was gawking like a fool.

Desperately, she tried to clear her throat. She should take the chance to turn the tables on her, remind her of the time. “I… you cut your hair.”

_ Ooooor not. _

A smirk danced across Dia’s face, and the mirth in her eyes… god, she was enjoying this too much, wasn’t she? How could someone look so innocent and  _ knowing _ at the same time? “I did.” She affirmed, stepping closer. God… she could see a flash of her earrings through the bob. It had no right to make her look as brilliant as it did… “Do you like it?”

Yes. Say yes. She should say yes.

Riko could only nod.

“Cat have your tongue, love?” Dia wet her lips quickly, staring into her eyes. “Quite the turn from this morning, isn’t it? It’s such a lovely feeling, being surprised.”

Oxygen finally returned to her blood as her chest obeyed after what felt like an eternity. “Wh… did you cut it just to--”

Dia shook her head, waving the thought away. “No, no, nothing like that. This is just a nice little bonus, but no. I’ve… well, I’ve been thinking about it for a while, to be honest. It’s a lot to take care of. And drying it takes so long.”

“So you just… cut it all off? Just like that?”

Ah. It was now that Dia’s face held a bit of sheepishness. “Aj, not exactly… I might have made a phonecall to Yohane earlier.”

Wait. Wait a goddamn second. Riko leaned in, unsure. “Did you say  _ Yoshiko _ told you to do it?”

“Yes?”

Alright, scratch that earlier though. Riko needed to give Yoshiko an apology later for doubting her influence and ideas. She knew what she was doing, wasn’t she? She always did, it seemed like. God, she was so much more helpful than she ever thought she’d be, now that Riko was giving it some thought. Okay, so after this, she’d have to figure out what to give the demon queen as a thank you gift, because after all these years, she deserved it. Honestly, she deserved something just for today.

“What makes you ask?” Dia’s question broke her out of her thoughts, and Riko shook herself. Stop thinking about your other friends when you’re supposed to be talking to your girlfriend, Riko. Poor form. Clean up the act, you have a  _ record _ to beat here.

She ended up laughing as a response, and Dia gave her a weird look. “Sorry, sorry, it’s just -- I called Yoshiko earlier, and, uh… ours wasn’t a very productive conversation.”

Dia was still giving her that scrutinizing and baffled look, but acquiesced. “Ah, alright…? Anyway. What’s the plan, oh master of the eve?”

“I… Dia, please leave the weird titles to Yoshiko, and don’t ever call me that again. I love you, but that was awful.” Riko elected to ignore the pout she was given, and instead looked at her phone. “Okay, so, we’re not late yet, if we hurry. No, I’m not telling you, you’ll find out when we get there.”

A scoff. “Riko, really? Even now, you’re going to keep this up?”

“Consider it payback. Just trust me. You’ll love it, I promise!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One whole year ago, I tried to write a fic that was pure fluff for my favorite character's birthday. One year later, that has exploded beyond what I expected it to, and this chapter was _supposed_ to be the final one. But it is not. No, this chapter was frickin 3k characters as of posting this, which would've been an entire third of the fic. In one chapter.
> 
> So, you get this bit now, and the final chapter... on her birthday! :D


	7. Chapter 7

Settled in the back of a restaurant that Dia was surprised Riko even knew about, the dim light glistened over the top of Riko’s hair. To her relief, there were no tall candlesticks to get in the way of her view, the only ones at their table being in a short, fat, vause. When she looked up from the flickering flames, she could see the specks of their dance in her eyes. “Riko, you really didn’t have to--”

“No, no, none of that!” Riko looked up from her plate of… whatever she’d ordered. Honestly, even though this was a fancy western restaurant she should’ve known the name of, she couldn’t remember what it was her girlfriend had ordered. “No being shy, or, uh… yeah. Really, Dia, just let me do this once, please?”

She watched her fidget with her hands, and her worry couldn’t dissipate. “I… Riko, is something wrong?”

“No! No, it’s fine! There’s nothing wrong, really, I just…” Riko gave her a weaks iole, feeding the fury of her anxiety. “It was just a lot to make sure everything would be put together today. I wanted to do something nice for you, you know? I know you don’t like super grand gestures, and all that, but… just once, I want you to have something nice. It’s -- it’s not too much for you, is it?”

“Riko…”

“It’s just… you’re something special, and, um, I don’t -- I want you to know that. I know I try to show it to you a lot, but I just… um… I want to you have at least one memory you can remember that’s clear and --”

“Riko.” Dia broke in firmly, reaching over to take her hand. “Riko, I really do appreciate it. I just don’t want you to stress so much about it. Really, anything would’ve been fine.”

“Even underwear?”

“Y-- wha-huh?”

“Yoshiko didn’t really, uh, give me any suggestions on what to get you earlier. She only told me what not to, and, ah… it doesn’t make sense to me, either.”

* * *

She felt far too overdressed for this, standing in the midst of the shimmering fish tanks, surrounded by fish that were glittering in the light. A nighttime aquarium visit might not have been at the top of her list of things to do, but it was a nice enough surprise. Now, if she’d come here in more casual clothes, that might be more appropriate. As it was, there had been a couple of odd stares from the few people they passed.

“I know it’s not a beach, but, well, it’s close enough.”

Dia gave her an odd look, which Riko must’ve taken as a prod to explain. If she wasn’t so used to it now, the intense eye contact might’ve made her squirm. It _had_ made her squirm in the past, years ago…

“You don’t get it? Ah… well, isn’t the beach our thing? As Aqours and outside of it? It’s the beach that, um, drew me out, it’s the beach that you wrote the name in, it’s the beach where I realized I had a crush on you, and um, it was the beach where we got together.” Riko smiled. “Even if it was kind of awkward.”

“Oh, please,” Dia scoffed into her hand, turning away at her remembered shame. “Awkward doesn’t do that justice.”

Another hand slid into her own, giving her fingers a delicate squeeze. “Come on, Dia, you’ve got to admit it was kinda sweet.”

* * *

Perhaps half an hour later, she was left to her own devices, what with Riko suddenly excusing herself. With nothing to do but wait and muse, she settled down on a bench. She had to give Riko this amount of credit, the evening was a good time to go to the aquarium. It was quiet, and while she had nothing against kids, having them running around underfoot and screaming wasn’t exactly the most romantic thing. But now… though she couldn’t see the stars above, she could still imagine their soft, somber glow in the midst of the fragile darkness. The only lights came from the edges of the walkway, and the glow of the water in the tanks. In front of her, a school of fish that were actually meaningful swam. They seemed to ripple and sparkle as they moved, and she found herself entranced.

The next thing she knew, she found herself being nudged awake by her girlfriend. “Don’t tell me you’re tired already,” Riko looked concerned. “It’s not that late yet. Are you alright?”

Straightening up, Dia rubbed her neck. “Ah, sorry… It’s simply too peaceful in here.” Flashing her a smile, she let herself reminisce without the traces of angst that had bothered her earlier in the day. “It wasn’t that long ago that we were all together, was it? It was so noisy, then. Heh…”

Riko sat down next to her. “Yeah. I’m sorry we couldn’t get everything together in time for your birthday, Dia. I know you miss them a lot.” A rustle from her side. “I… if it makes you feel better, I got you something else.”

Huh? But hadn’t she already… “You di--”

“If you’re about to say I didn’t have to, Dia, please don’t.”

Ah. Hm. That _was_ in the vein of forbidden topics Riko had outlined earlier, wasn’t it? No self depreciation, however slight? She cringed, and murmured an apology. Her girlfriend’s face softened.

“Here,” she changed the subject back, handing over a bag she’d taped shut. “Go on, open it.”

A sigh fell from her lips, but it was betrayed by the smile she wore. Hesitantly, she picked at the tape, peeling it up in an annoying amount of strips, which she stuck onto Riko’s jacket. Once it was off of the bag enough to open, she peered inside to see… a blob. She looked over at Riko, who only nodded and encouraged her to go on. So, bravery in hand, she reached in and pulled it out. There was something underneath it, she could feel it under her fingertips, but she was first stunned by the fuzzy shirt she took out. It was hard to tell in the dark room, but it looked to be a pale pink spotted with… flowers? She looked over at Riko.

“You like it?” Was asked, hesitantly. Hopeful. Something was hidden in those words, but if only she could figure out what they were…Dia looked back at the shirt to find that it was covered in plum blossoms, now that she was looking closer.

“I… Riko?”

“It wasn’t what I thought I’d find, but, um, I figured you might like it.” She gave her a smile that was still unsure. “I know that you’ve been needing new pajamas that aren’t, uh, old t-shirts and shorts.” At Dia’s confused expression, Riko shrugged. She was fidgeting a little bit too much for Dia’s comfort. “You like clinging onto me at night, and your hands are so cold. Plus, aha, you do complain about it during movie night, you know, when you -- wait a _minute._ ”

“Eh?”

“Was that your plan the entire time?! Finding an excuse to grab me?”

She blinked. What? Where did she get that idea from? Honestly, if she only wanted to cuddle, she was brave enough to do it anyway, wasn’t she? Wasn’t she?! Note to self, she thought after a moment’s realization, don’t ask your friends that. “It wasn’t, but I’ll admit it’s convenient.”

Riko stared at her, as if daring her to crack under scrutiny. She didn’t falter in the least, betraying no secrets she may or may not hold. Not even as the scrutiny increased. Her girlfriend leaned in, crossing her arms. Hm… it was tempting…

Before Dia could go in for the kill, Riko pulled away with a sigh. She couldn’t help the tiny noise of disappointment. She wanted a kiss, dammit. Still, she leaned against her anyway. That was okay, she’d just have to weasel one out of her later. Or whenever the opportunity next presented itself, whichever came first.

Only a fool would assume she wouldn’t take advantage of both.

“You know, uh…. This actually… wasn’t what I planned on getting you.” Riko changed the topic abruptly. Drawing Dia’s attention back onto her directly, Riko cleared her throat. Hm. Shifting. That seemed awfully… shifty.

She waited, but nothing further came. “And?”

“And, well... it… uh… broke in the mail.” There was no small amount of upset on Riko’s face, and Dia was about ready to go and fight the post office right then and there for such a grievous crime they committed against her. No, the present wasn’t it -- it was making Riko cry.

Violence wouldn't fix her current problems, however. Which meant she had to figure out something else, something more tangible and easy. Something she could do right then. But what… She let her head drop against Riko’s shoulder, gently patting her arm. “May I see it? Perhaps it won’t be that bad…”

“Maybe… okay. Close your eyes. I guess.” Dislodging Dia from where she was nestling, she reached for her purse -- a larger one, Dia noticed, than she usually used -- and pausing, tossing a glance back at her. Obediently, she closed her eyes. Flip. She could hear the rustling of fabric and plastic hidden within.

Curious and patient, she held out her hands. Something rattled as Riko rummaged through her bag, and the next thing she knew, something light was placed inside her hands, cool and smooth and definitely paperboard.

“Okay, you can look now.”

With no small amount of apprehension, she opened her eyes to find the crushed up box of figures. “Huh?” She’d never seen this before… carefully, she turned it this way and that, inspecting the box for both damage, and an explanation on what it was. Her head tilted when she saw the back of it, jaw slackening just enough to get Riko’s attention.

“I’m so sorry it got broken, I really didn’t think they’d --”

“Riko, honey. Sweetheart. Love of my life.” Dia looked up with a look of sympathy and patience. Given the way her girlfriend’s face shifted, that wasn’t remotely the reactions she thought she’d be getting. “Riko, this is a garage kit. It’s supposed to come like this.”

There was an unbearably long silence as Riko digested this information. Biting her lip, Dia waited for her to relieve the five hundred stages of grief that her girlfriend had evidently gone through upon getting the package this morning, and her frantic search since. That was fine. She watched her face twist, her mouth open, her glances away, to the box, to her face, back to the box, the ceiling, and then the box and Dia again.

Dia tipped her head further to the side, inviting her to voice her thoughts.

“I… you’re telling me, this entire time, this whole entire day, I was worried about having to replace your present and that you’d be disappointed for no reason? None at all?”

Oh, how she wanted to laugh. That was possibly one of the sweetest and most hilarious things she’s had Riko do in a while. “Were you that worried about it?” She asked instead, but restraining her mirth was outright impossible. “Riko, like I told you earlier, whatever you would’ve done is absolutely _fine._ It’s not you getting me things that’s the important part. It’s you just spending time with me. That’s all I’m asking for.”

“I know, I know,” Riko muttered, looking away. “I just…”

“...wanted to do something nice. I know.” Setting the box down, Dia reached out to cup her cheek. How much she loved feeling Riko lean into that… speaking of, she leaned in for the kiss she’s been wanting all day. Quick and light, but she’d get more later. “And now I’m telling you to stop worrying about it. You did amazing. Next time, though, might I make a suggestion?”

“Hm?”

“Make sure you’re getting what you think you’re getting, okay?”


End file.
